miller



Empf mwzwqf /5/51/2- ./YQMQM- ANI. PHOTO-LITHO. C0. N-Y. (OSEORNESPROCESS) 'UNITED S ATES L. H. MILLER, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

DOOR FOR IRON SAFES.

To all whom it may concem:

Be it known that I, L. I-I. MILLER, of Baltimore, in the county ofBaltimore and State of Maryland, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Doors for Iron Safes and Bank-Vaults; and I .do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification, in which- F'gure 1, is a front View showingthe manner of arranging the door on a safe. Fig. 2, a vertical section,and Fig. 3, a transverse section of the same.

Similar letters of reference,in each of the several figures indicatecorresponding parts.

In the construction of iron safes and bank vaults, it is very importantto have the joints or crevices between the door and the sides, top andbottom of the opening in the front plate, water7 dust, steam, fire,smoke and powder proof, but up to the present time, much difliculty hasbeen experienced in effecting this object, without subjecting themerchant or the banker to much inconvenience in opening the door, owingto the necessity of having the door made with bevel edges and fitted sotight that it binds on all sides, when shut, to such an extent, thatconsiderable force must be expended to open and close it.

My invention is designed to render the joint or crevices between thesides, top and bottom of the door, water, dust steam, fire, smoke andpowder proof as far as practicable without the use of packing, and atthe same time avoid the inconveniences from bind between the sides, topand bottom of the door and the front plate, as hereinafter described.

To enable others, skilled in the art, to make and use my invention, Iwill proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A, represents the front plate of an iron safe. In this plate an openinga, is provided for the reception of the door. This opening is bound allaround nearest its inner face Vwith a thin flange b, b1, b2, b, whichdecreases its size at the point where it leads into the chamber of thesafe considerably. The top and bottom and front portions b1, Z22, b3 ofthe flange have one or more V- shaped moldings 0, c, formed on theirouter faces, said moldings extending from top to bottom and from side toside of the opening, as shown in red lines in Fig. 1, the back portionof the flange being made plain on its outer face as shown in Fig. 3.This portion is'made wider than the other portion by reason of a grooved, being formed in the back edge of the plate inclosing the opening a,as shown.

B, is the door, it is made with its edges square so as to fit easily inthe opening a. 0n the inner face of the door, near the top, bottom andfront edges, one or more V- shaped grooves e, e, are formed. At the backedge, nearest the inner face, a tongue or bead f, is formed. The doorthus constructed is hinged to the front plate of the safe, as shown'atg, g, in Fig. l.

From the above description, it will be seen that when the door of thesafe is closed, the tongue or bead j', will enter the groove d, and theV shaped grooves e, e, will receive the V shaped moldings o, 0, of theflanges as represented in Figs. 2 and 3, and thus the joint or crevicesbetween the door and the inner edges of the front plate willbe'effectually closed up. The indirect course that thedust, water,powder, smoke, fire or steam are compelled to take, before they enterthe safe, will, to a very great extent, save the contents of the safefrom their destructive influence.

It will be evident that water and dust will lodge in their course in theV grooves, in the flange and door, and between the tongue and groove CZ,f. It will also be evident that it will be almost impossible tointroduce grains of powder into the safe, as the same will lodge in theV grooves in its passage to the opening a. The same obstruction will beoffered to fire, smoke or steam.

That I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

Thc combination of the tongue f, groove d, flanges b1 b2 b3, V shapedmoldings c, c, and V shaped grooves c, e, in the construction o-f a fireproof safe or bank vault, substantially in the manner and for thepurpose herein described.

The above specification of my impt. in doors for safes, vaults, &c.signed by me this 27 th day of September 1859.

L. H. MILLER.

Vitnesses GOODWIN Y. AT LEE, R. W. FENwIoK.

